Fifty years after Island Records released Toots And The Maytals’ Reggae Got Soul album, his daughter returned to the United Kingdom to mark its golden anniversary.

In May, Toots And The Maytals Featuring Leba Hibbert did 18 shows in Wales, Scotland, and England.

‘The Reggae Got Soul 50th Anniversary Tour’ started on May 7 at Y Plas in Cardiff, Wales. It closed on May 30 at Ashton Hall in Lancaster.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, Leba described the three-week trek as “extremely memorable and successful”.

The shows were built around songs from the landmark album which solidified Toots’ standing in the UK.

“It certainly met all our expectations and more. We got sold-out shows and, of course, my biggest audience was the Bearded Theory Festival (in Derbyshire),” said Leba. “The most satisfying aspects of the tour were the reactions from the fans. They sang every line from each song, and knew the melodic phrases of the songs.”

The tour also made stops in Bristol, London, Leeds, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, and Manchester.

It was Leba’s second tour of the UK which was a strong market for her father, who died in 2020 at age 77.

Reggae Got Soul contains songs such as Never You Change, Living in The Ghetto, Six And Seven Books, and I
Shall Sing.

Toots was a star in the UK since the late 1960s, thanks to songs like 54-46, Funky Kingston, and Pressure Drop.

Leba, who toured for many years with Toots as a member of 54-46, his harmony trio, assumed the reins of The Maytals two years ago. The group has also performed in the United States.

The Maytals band comprised Arnaldo Bolt on drums, Gregory Palmer (keyboards), Leebert Morrison (guitar), and Dale Brown (bass guitar). Harmony singers were Colin Thomas, Leba Hibbert’s son, and Christa Daly.

— Howard Campbell